by John Kumiski
We launched our raft, practicing our paddling technique a bit before heading off to face the rapids downstream. Mist rising above the chilly water created an ethereal scene as we floated swiftly down river, but also made it hard to see what was ahead. The heavily wooded cliffs of the Nantahala Gorge towered above us, offering magnificent views when we had a rare opportunity to check out the scenery. The Nantahala River keeps you busy.
Bryson City, located in the southwestern corner of North Carolina, offers the camper an almost astounding variety of outdoor adventures. Our family's recent trip there was outstanding. The biggest problem we faced was that the seven days we scheduled wasn't really enough time for us to do and see all the things we wanted.
The Scavenger Hunt
We drove up to Bryson City from our central Florida home, a trip of about ten hours. After we set up camp, I gave my boys (Maxx, age 10, and Alex, age 8) a sheet of paper containing their scavenger hunt list. "What's this?" they wanted to know. "A scavenger hunt for you to work on while we're up here," I said. "If you have some free time it will give you something to do."
We used the scavenger hunt as a technique to get the boys to focus in on distinct aspects of the natural and cultural environments that we were introducing them to. Their response to the list was quite surprising and gratifying to me. They really enjoyed it! The hunt turned out to be an excellent educational tool, one which we all finished together with a discussion of their favorite and least favorite parts of the trip as we began our ride home.
Campgrounds
The Bryson City area offers a variety of campsite types, from RV parks to private family type campgrounds to national forest and national park sites to backcountry sites available only to backpackers. We stayed at the Deep Creek Tube Center Campground, a private campground located just outside of Bryson City, at the time owned and operated by Ken and Debra Mills. As we walked around the campground after our arrival we came upon a volleyball court and started an impromptu game with our sons. Before we knew it there were another ten kids there and we were in a heck of a volleyball game! Our sons played volleyball every evening that we were in camp, and made many new friends in the process.
One evening the campground put on a concert by a local bluegrass band, the Dowden Sisters out of Asheville. These three ladies had the sweetest voices imaginable and harmonized just beautifully. Emily, a clawhammer-style banjo player, stepped out and asked me to waltz with her while her sisters were playing. With a bit of trepidation I accepted her invitation and we danced together on the lawn while she taught me some "fancy steppin'."
The ladies later asked for some help from the audience and put together an impromptu rhythm section consisting of a washtub bass, three washboard players, and a spoon player. They played together extremely well. The evening was simply delightful, a real down-home taste of southern Appalachia.
Tubing
The tube center rents inner tubes, used to float down Deep Creek. Debra Mills explained, "Carry the tube up the Deep Creek Trail and ride it back to the campground. With the rain we've had the creek should be running pretty good, so it will take you an hour or a little less to get back here. If you wear glasses make sure they're strapped on or you will lose them. People lose eyeglasses, rings, necklaces, and of course there's the famous legend of the lost Rolex.
"The biggest drop on the creek is called Devil's Dip. Hang onto your tube, but you'll probably fall out. Ken tells me to do this, try that, but I always fall out anyway, so just expect that you'll be swimming.
"When you get back here you will be cold and hungry, so the first thing you'll do is to take a hot shower and then eat some hot food. And please have the tubes back by six o'clock."
Maxx, Alex, and I took our tubes and headed up Deep Creek, into the national park. We started where Debbie had told us to. The swift current quickly carried us downstream to the highly anticipated and much talked about Devil's Dip. Maxx floated through without a hitch but Alex fell out of his tube. I fell out of mine, got back in, fell out again, got on again, and fell out a third time, just in time to swim through the steepest part of the rapid.
Just like Debbie had predicted, when we got back to our campsite we were cold and hungry. But the trip down the creek through part of the national park was beautiful and we had had a blast! For the visitor looking for some inexpensive entertainment with a "ten" on the fun meter this trip is highly recommended.
Mountain Biking
The vicinity of Bryson City offers some of the most spectacular mountain biking in the east, and although we had no prior mountain biking experience we wanted to try it. We met Greg Demonet, our mountain biking instructor and guide, at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) early one morning. Greg fitted our bikes to us, then loaded us up in a big van and headed out to the vicinity of the upper Nantahala River to give us instruction and take us biking.
Greg let us ride around on some fairly flat ground first to get the feel of the bikes, then called us over to him. He explained how to shift and the importance of pedaling at a steady pace. He then discussed proper braking technique. He demonstrated how to ride over obstructions, and set up a little slalom course so we could begin to develop some of the skills needed to bike safely through rough terrain.
"You must anticipate when you need to shift or brake, rather than react," explained Greg. "Your ride will be safer, smoother, and more enjoyable if you do this." He then took us onto an old gravel logging road to do some serious pedaling.
A good mountain bike resembles the Schwinn of my childhood as much as a Ferrari resembles a Model T Ford. These machines are incredible pieces of equipment, traversing steep slopes, rocks, mud, and other obstacles with ease.
However, when one receives instruction in a classroom, a test usually follows to determine how well you've mastered your lesson. When you're biking your lack of mastery is revealed when you crash. Evidently Alex had not been paying close enough attention to Greg, because he had a nasty spill which resulted in minor injury to his arm and face, much wailing and many tears. After administering first aid we managed to talk him into getting back on the bike and we continued an otherwise very enjoyable ride through the mountains without further mishap.
Hiking
Arguably the most famous hiking trail in North America, the Appalachian Trail passes within a few miles of Bryson City. Hikers of all abilities can be accommodated in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Nantahala National Forest.
Our first walk took place on a rainy morning in the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Wilderness Area, part of the Nantahala National Forest. This area contains some of the last virgin forest remaining in the Appalachians, and the size of the hemlocks and poplars is just stunning. Rhododendrons, trilliums, and many other flowering mountain plants line the trail. If you want to enjoy an easy hike through an incredible, cathedral-like, old 0growth forest, this place should definitely be on your must-see list.
Inclement weather hampered our attempts to hike to mountain peaks. We couldn't risk getting hypothermic in a chilly rain, so we stayed at lower elevations. Another beautiful and easy walk we took in heavy rain was the Loop Trail up Deep Creek. The trail parallels Deep Creek for almost two miles, with stream crossings easily made on sturdy National Park Service bridges. While you could take the Deep Creek Trail all the way to the top of Clingman's Dome, we took a side trail that traversed Sunkota Ridge and after one mile connected to the Indian Creek Trail. We followed Indian Creek back to Deep Creek and then walked back to our vehicle. The highlight of this walk was Indian Creek Falls, a lovely cascade along Indian Creek. An excellent guidebook for the hiker is Day and Overnight Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, by Johnny Malloy (Menasha Ridge Press).
Trout Fishing
The Smokies contain hundreds of miles of streams that provide habitat for brown, rainbow, and native brook trout. Most streams are small, swift, rocky, and rather poor producers of trout food, so the fish tend to be small, although plentiful and beautifully colored. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission stocks the streams that have easy access, as do the Cherokee Indians on the waters that run through their reservation.
We tried the upper Nantahala late one afternoon. Mayflies were flying off the water sporadically and we raised quite a few fish, even catching a couple in spite of the rain. This river is one of the few in the area where you can latch onto a true trophy.
If you're interested in trout fishing in the vicinity of Bryson City I suggest you contact Steve Claxton. Steve guides in the Fontana Lake region of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Reach him at 828-736-7501or through his website at http://www.steveclaxton.com
Some Other Activities
-The Cherokee Indian Reservation
The town of Cherokee is commercialized and garish. There are three good reasons to visit for at least one day, however: the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, the Okonaluftee Indian Village, and to view what may be the longest running play in America. Unto These Hills, a dramatic interpretation of the history of the Cherokee Nation including the infamous and tragic Trail of Tears, is celebrating its fiftieth season this year. I highly recommend all of these attractions, particularly if you would like to gain some insight into the history of the Cherokee.
If you wish to purchase some of the superb crafts that the Cherokee produce, both the Museum Store and the Qualla Crafts Cooperative across the street offer high quality goods with none of the cheesiness that most of the other shops in town have. Be prepared to part with some cash, though. A high quality, medium sized basket sells for a couple of hundred dollars. Considering that these hand made pieces take from three to four days to build, the price is actually rather reasonable. Contact the Cherokee Historical Association at 828-497-2111 for information/reservations.
-The Great Smoky Mountain Railway
An old fashioned steam locomotive pulls this train, which has been used in the making of several movies. The tracks run through pastoral farm lands, woods, across Fontana Lake, and up into the Nantahala Gorge. Mountain and lake views are lovely, and you will watch rafters negotiating rapids on the river. The Railway offers several trips, including dinner trains and a murder mystery trip. Contact the Railway office at 800-872-4681 for more information or visit their website at http://www.gsmr.com.
-Scenic Drives
For this Floridian most drives through the Great Smokies are scenic, so maybe this section should be called Spectacular Drives. The Blue Ridge Parkway and US 441 through Great Smoky Mountains National Park are two obvious spectacular drives. All kinds of back roads here offer the motorist some wonderful excursions. For planning backcountry motoring, see Touring the Western North Carolina Backroads, by Carolyn Sakowski (John F. Blair, Publisher)
-White Water Boating
The Nantahala River, ten miles or so west of Bryson City, offers an outstanding white water experience for boaters of all skill levels. While you will see plenty of canoes and kayaks on the river, first time white water boaters will want to use rafts. They offer a much larger margin for error than do those smaller boats. Many outfitters have rental rafts available, and of course all of them also offer guided trips. Hiring a guide is definitely the way to go if you've never been boating in swift water before.
We rented our raft from the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). After watching a video on river safety we boarded the shuttle bus and headed up the river. We were all very excited!
Our ears told us when we were approaching rapids. The run downriver took about three hours, full of rocks and waves, often wet and mostly action packed. The biggest rapid of the trip is Nantahala Falls, only about a quarter mile upstream from the take-out at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.
"Where do we go through?" asked Susan. "Do you see where that tongue of black water is on the other side of that big rock?" I responded. "Right there. Here comes a guided raft, let's see where they go through."
Susan and I were looking over Nantahala Falls before we ran through with our most precious cargo, our sons. Neither of the boys had been in white water before and we certainly didn't want an accident, so we were prudently scouting the falls before running them.
As we watched the guided raft hit the big wave near the bottom of the pitch. All of the boaters were thrown into the river with the exception of the guide, who very gallantly did a somersault out of the raft and joined his party in the chilly water. Now it was our turn to run the falls.
We got back in the raft and with pounding hearts headed down river. A fast, wet ride through big rocks and white water, the falls gave us an incredibly exciting ride. We made it through, wet and exhilarated, and pulled the raft out onto the NOC landing. Scenic, thrilling, and loads of fun, this trip is something we are all ready to do again!
The Nantahala Outdoor Center
How does one adequately describe the NOC? It offers rentals, guided trips, and instruction for white water canoes, kayaks, and rafts, as well as mountain bikes, not just on the Nantahala River or even just the southeastern United States, but all over the world. It offers guided hiking trips, too. At the NOC Store you can completely outfit yourself for white water boating, biking, or hiking. Three restaurants offer the intrepid outdoorsperson a choice of dining venues after a rough day in the wilderness.
For anyone heading to western North Carolina with interest in any of these outdoor activities, a call to NOC or a visit to their website is a must. Their phone number is 800-232-7238. Their website address is www.noc.com.
Camping Around Bryson City
As mentioned in the text, there are loads of options for the camper. While we stayed at and recommend the Deep Creek Tube Center Campground (828-488-6055) for those interested in a family style camping experience, those desiring more of a wilderness setting would probably rather camp in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (reservations recommended- 423-430-9868) or the Nantahala National Forest (reservations- 800-280-2267).
For a list of private campsites in the Bryson City area, contact the Swain County Chamber of Commerce at 800-867-9246, or see their web page at www.greatsmokies.com.
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This article was written by John Kumiski of John Kumiski Outdoors and Travel. Contact him at his website www.johnkumiski.com or via email at john@spottedtail.com. Copyright 2007 John Kumiski.
John Kumiski 's most recent fishing guidebooks are How and Where to Catch Redfish in the Indian River Lagoon System (Argonaut Publishing Company), and Fishing Florida's Space Coast (Argonaut Publishing Company).
John Kumiski's newest book is Redfish on the Fly- A Comprehensive Guide.
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